Best friends and comedy writers Amy Aniobi and Grace Edwards — who worked together on Issa Rae’s “Insecure” series for HBO — are launching a new weekly talk show podcast as counterprogramming to doomscrolling.
The show, produced by APM Studios and distributed by American Public Media, is set to premiere March 30 on major podcast platforms and at antidoteshow.org. The duo’s first guest on “The Antidote” is actor and entrepreneur Tracee Ellis Ross, who starred in ABC’s “Black-ish”; additional upcoming guests include comedians and actors Nicole Byer and Ilana Glazer.
“The world is a Dumpster fire,” reads the description of “The Antidote.” Co-hosts Aniobi and Edwards, “in response to the madness in the news,” will share the culture that lights them up and activities that bring them joy, as well as strategies they use to cope.
In each episode, “we’re going to recap some bummer news, then tell you what we’re doing to stay sane through all the chaos,” Aniobi says in the trailer (listen below).
“Grace and Amy are as real as it gets, and this is exactly why their voices are needed right now,” Joanne Griffith, chief content officer, APM Studios, said in a statement. “They share their unique take on life as talented Black women, and their gift as comedy writers brings levity when the news can feel a little dark. We want to evolve the sound of public media; Grace and Amy are a key part of that.”
Aniobi is best known for her work on “Insecure,” for which she was an executive producer, writer and director. She recently directed award-winning short film “Honeymoon,” which explores a modern-day Nigerian couple’s awkward first day of marriage. Aniobi has an overall deal at HBO/HBO Max. She is the founder of production company SuperSpecial and talent incubator Tribe.
Edwards, who was a writer on “Insecure,” is creator and executive producer of “Jodie,” a spinoff of iconic series “Daria.” Additional writing credits include “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “Mr. Mayor” on NBC, AMC’s “Kevin Can F**k Himself,” Hulu’s “Dollface” and MTV’s “Loosely Exactly Nicole.”
Listen to the trailer for “The Antidote”:
